Alias icon not showing in the spotlight tool bar launch app.

Question

Alias icon not showing in the spotlight tool bar launch app.

Is anyone else missing their alias icons in the Tahoe tool bar spotlight launch app? I have re-indexed spotlight both with the recommended GUI way and through terminal. It works great finds all my apps but it just doesn't index the alias's I have in my applications folder so the show up in the launch window, this includes Apple apps from the App Store that have downloaded to my second bigger drive using the App Store settings, for example, iMovie will launch from the spotlight search, but there is no icon to be seen!

This is driving me nuts :-)

Thanks for the help / heads up!

John

Mac mini, macOS 26.2

Posted on Feb 6, 2026 4:30 AM

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Answer 1

leroydouglas

Level 10

199,656 points

Feb 7, 2026 11:45 AM in response to Grumpoldmanuk

Grumpoldmanuk wrote:

Is anyone else missing their alias icons in the Tahoe tool bar spotlight launch app? I have re-indexed spotlight both with the recommended GUI way and through terminal.

It works great finds all my apps but it just doesn't index the alias's I have in my applications folder so the show up in the launch window,

this includes Apple apps from the App Store that have downloaded to my second bigger drive using the App Store settings, for example, iMovie will launch from the spotlight search, but there is no icon to be seen!

This is driving me nuts :-)

Thanks for the help / heads up!

John

Why application aliases in the Application folder...(?)

I would keep Application onboard in the Application folder, and compare your results

you can try Rest Launchpad from the Terminal app copy and past:

defaults write com.apple.dock ResetLaunchPad -bool true && killall Dock

from Spotlight Command-1 for Searching Applications

submit your Apple Feedback here: Product Feedback - Apple

you can Call Customer Support (800) MY–APPLE (800–692–7753)

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Answer 2

Feb 7, 2026 3:08 PM in response to leroydouglas

Thank you for your answer so quickly, unfortunately being old .... and grumpy I didn't make myself quite clear enough. I have a Mac mini running Tahoe 26.2, with the new launch icon on the tool bar that is part of spotlight.

I did try your solution even though it was for launchpad, it didn't work. I have re-built the file indexing in spotlight several times as advised both using GUI and through the terminal to no avail.

It is just the Alias it doesn't list for example iMovie alias correctly placed in Applications, It does not appear in the list of icons like everything else does.

If I use the spotlight search bar and type the app there it shows and I can launch it from there. Is this a known bug?

Thank again in advance

John

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